1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a freight car truck and in particular to a cast bracket for supporting a disc brake assembly for such a truck from a transom of a frame casting comprising a part of the freight car truck.
The invention pertains generally to a mounting bracket for a 4-wheel freight car truck. Typically, such a truck will have four disc brakes associated with the four rail wheels of the truck. Such a truck may also be equipped with four tread brakes which are also associated with the four rail wheels. However, the mounting bracket of the present invention is intended for mounting of the disc brakes.
It is well known in the art to provide a mounting bracket for supporting a disc brake assembly from a transom which comprises part of the truck frame casting. It is also known to bolt such a bracket to the transom as is done in the case of the present invention. However, such mounting brackets are typically fabricated in a manner where several parts are welded together. Such fabricated mounting brackets have encountered problems because the various welds comprise weakened sections which require stress risers to reinforce the weakened areas. It was not feasible with such fabricated brackets to locate the welds in areas of low stress concentration.